Sydney’s eastern clifftops offer breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean stretching out from hundreds of feet below.
One popular vantage point is The Gap, though it has sadly also been the scene of many suicides.
Taking in the view on my only visit, I sensed an aura of peace and freedom which was emphasised by birds soaring effortlessly overhead.
An inviting contrast to the noise and hustle surrounding the millions of city-dwellers at my back.
Nearby residents are alert to any visitors at risk, following the lead of war veteran Don Ritchie who became famous as “The Angel of the Gap”.
For in over 50 years, he stopped hundreds of people from leaping from this cliff to end it all.
Ritchie would scan the cliff every day, ready to rush over to help anyone he saw standing near the edge.
At first, he used physical restraint, but he soon found that it was more effective to invite them to have a cup of tea and to talk over whatever was troubling them.
Funerals for suicide victims are tragically wrapped in shock and disbelief among those attending, as guilt adheres to grief – for “if only we had known, we could have…”
But more tragic are suicide pacts that grow among attendees who feel worthless, for in hearing the respect for the deceased person, they see such funerals as opportunities to be similarly praised.
They may be praised, but with no chance to grow from there.
We may never visit The Gap or be confronted by anyone on the verge of suicide, but we can all interrupt suicide’s advance on those who feel drawn to its finality.
We all experience internal gaps between where we are and where we could be; gaps which are God-given opportunities to grow and to keep learning.
Yet if we focus on others who seem luckier, smarter, younger, fitter, richer, or healthier; we will stifle this growth and begin to down our world and ourselves with it.
In an increasingly impersonal age, there are many opportunities to lift people’s morale.
We can bridge any gaps of loneliness with a smile, a greeting, or humour to ease any tension.
All without ambushing them with in-depth sensitivity, which may develop as we relax in the fact that God loves them as much as he loves us, and as we trust him to let them embrace this love for themselves.
Noel Mitaxa
On behalf of a church near you, inviting you to explore God’s love
